Rough idle and Steering Column vibration at idle and start.

[87527]

it was out of both tailpipes if i remember correctly, its finicky with running because after i got it started and saw the smoke from the tail pipe i shut it off out of instinct, i was able to start it one more time but after that it doesn't want to. Getting it to start and run is something that is just odd... theres no rhyme or reason to it starting and continuing to go.
But if its a passage in the EGR Does that mean i have to replace the EGR? i was going to replace it because i wanted to change the upper intake gasket anyway and i would have the entire intake and throttle body off making the entire process less painful. I'd also much rather change the EGR instead of the head gasket because that's a bit of a challenge im not certain i want to handle.

Edit: used wrong word

 

[jrichker]

Water flows around the EGR spacer to cool the EGR and prevent throttle body icing. Sometimes the gasket leaks and coolant gets into the intake manifold.

 

[87527]

Thank you for educating me on that. I'm going to be taking the intake off tomorrow and hopefully putting it back on tomorrow too, while its off it'l be alot eaiser to do things with that area. I'll let you know how it goes, Thanks for all the help!

 

[87527]

I tried to get the EGR off but got stuck at a nut that is so rusted that 2 men and a hammer could not break so im going to take the car to a mechanic shop which would be more well suited for the task of breaking that nut. So i tried to run it and burp the system seeing as i had drained the coolant for the thermostat housing, and the car started doing a weird idle. I took video of it because its infuriating.
I Managed to get the car to run yesterday for about 10 minutes to move it into my driveway, around like 30 feet overall, the only difference between it running then and now was i started it on level ground and now its on a hill and it didnt have coolant.
My father wanted me to move the car off the street because he's afraid it might get towed and i just forgot about the coolant. Im wondering if possibly the issue is the IAC but i dont know why it would run well enough for me to drive it one day and then barely even idle the next. Im going to edit a dropbox link in with video of the Gauge cluster while im trying to start it later because my internet is just abysmal and im waiting on it to finish uploading.
2 Clips of me trying to start my car in chronological order
https://www.dropbox.com/s/25w4s8461c3yy2p/IMG_1091.MOV?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8js98v1pu3asyhr/IMG_1093.MOV?dl=0

 

[jrichker]

I tried to get the EGR off but got stuck at a nut that is so rusted that 2 men and a hammer could not break so im going to take the car to a mechanic shop which would be more well suited for the task of breaking that nut. So i tried to run it and burp the system seeing as i had drained the coolant for the thermostat housing, and the car started doing a weird idle. I took video of it because its infuriating.
I Managed to get the car to run yesterday for about 10 minutes to move it into my driveway, around like 30 feet overall, the only difference between it running then and now was i started it on level ground and now its on a hill and it didnt have coolant.
My father wanted me to move the car off the street because he's afraid it might get towed and i just forgot about the coolant. Im wondering if possibly the issue is the IAC but i dont know why it would run well enough for me to drive it one day and then barely even idle the next. Im going to edit a dropbox link in with video of the Gauge cluster while im trying to start it later because my internet is just abysmal and im waiting on it to finish uploading.
2 Clips of me trying to start my car in chronological order
https://www.dropbox.com/s/25w4s8461c3yy2p/IMG_1091.MOV?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8js98v1pu3asyhr/IMG_1093.MOV?dl=0

Here's the trick with rusted nuts - no brute force, just finesse...

 

[87527]

Thank you for the tip, but the nut im talking about is the passenger exhaust pipe nut. Its all one piece now which is about as fun to work with as anything that was two pieces but is now one so im just going to my mechanic because he's probably more well suited to handle the issue.

 

[87527]

I Did a little more research on what it could be and thought it could be the CCRM messing with fuel pressure at first but i have power to the fuel pump and it is a brand new pump and it has a new fuel filter too. Could it be possible that the issue is the fuel pressure regulator because the issues with a failed one are fairly close the issues im experiencing with my car (I.E. Rough Idle, Issues with starting, Backfiring and starting and then stalling.)

 

[jrichker]

If the fuel pump loses power while the engine is running, it will set code 96.

Check fuel pressure:
The local auto parts store may rent or loan a fuel pressure test gauge if you don't have one.
Disconnect the vacuum line from the fuel pressure regulator. Check it for evidence of fuel present in the line by removing it and blowing air through it. If you find fuel, the fuel pressure regulator has failed. Reinstall the line; leave the fuel pressure regulator end of the vacuum line disconnected. Then cap or plug the open end of the vacuum line and stow it out of the way.
Connect the fuel pressure test gauge to the Schrader port located just behind the alternator.
Turn the ignition switch on & start the engine. Observe the pressure: you should see 38-41 PSI at idle.
Turn the ignition off; reconnect the vacuum line to the fuel pressure regulator. Then disconnect the fuel pressure test gauge. Watch out for squirting gas when you do this.

Fuel pump pressure test
Disconnect the larger of the two fuel lines up by the Schrader valve. It is the return line and does not have the Schrader valve on it. Find a piece of rubber fuel hose and clamp it on the return line coming from the regulator. Stick a bolt in the other end of the hose and make sure that all your connections are tight and leak proof as possible. When this powers up, you don't want fuel squirting everywhere. Hook up the fuel pressure test gauge. Turn the ignition switch on and watch for leaks. You may want to use a helper inside the car to cut the switch off quickly if you have a leak. To trick the fuel pump into running, find the ECC test connector and jump the connector in the Upper RH corner to ground.

Caution!!! You have blocked the return line for the fuel pump! Pressure will rise very quickly past safe levels with a good pump
If the pressure goes up past 55 PSI, the pump is good and the fuel pressure regulator is bad. If the fuel pressure does not hit 55 PSI or more in a few seconds, the pump is bad or you have electrical problems.

 

[87527]

i replaced the Pressure regulator which didnt do much. it looked pretty rusty though which seemed like it could become a possible issue in the future. In my anger over the attempted repair doing nothing to the car i tried everything to get it to start and run. I managed to get it to idle at 500 rpms for the better part of a minute. I broke out the multimeter because the lighting in the car was pulsating with the idle of the car.
I Set it to 20 Ω or whatever that symbol is and checked the battery. The reading from the battery displayed -8.0~. If my memory is correct it should be up around 12.0~-13.0~ right? Could this whole issue just be that the car is not getting enough electricity.

 

[jrichker]

i replaced the Pressure regulator which didnt do much. it looked pretty rusty though which seemed like it could become a possible issue in the future. In my anger over the attempted repair doing nothing to the car i tried everything to get it to start and run. I managed to get it to idle at 500 rpms for the better part of a minute. I broke out the multimeter because the lighting in the car was pulsating with the idle of the car.
I Set it to 20 Ω or whatever that symbol is and checked the battery. The reading from the battery displayed -8.0~. If my memory is correct it should be up around 12.0~-13.0~ right? Could this whole issue just be that the car is not getting enough electricity.

You should see 13.8 -14.4 at idle . Make sure that the battery is fully charged before you jump to conclusions, because once the battery voltage gets too low, the alternator will no longer charge the battery.

If you pull the alternator, most of the larger auto parts store will test it for free.

 

[87527]

I Did not know that the alternator wont charge the battery if the battery gets too low. Good to know. I'll get it charged later today. Thanks again for all the help

 

[87527]

so i got the battery charged and it still wouldn't run. I'm fairly certain that the charger i bought was weak since it was only 15$. I'm going to get it charged at auto zone today but while i was trying to start the car, the ignition beeper was going off while the door was open as if the key was in the ignition. Also whenever the door is opened, the dome light on the headliner turns on. Is it possible that the ignition tumbler has gone bad and when I think that the car is off, it actually isn't. This is the first car I've really worked on and its been a while since I've driven a car that is from that era.

 

[jrichker]

so i got the battery charged and it still wouldn't run. I'm fairly certain that the charger i bought was weak since it was only 15$. I'm going to get it charged at auto zone today but while i was trying to start the car, the ignition beeper was going off while the door was open as if the key was in the ignition. Also whenever the door is opened, the dome light on the headliner turns on. Is it possible that the ignition tumbler has gone bad and when I think that the car is off, it actually isn't. This is the first car I've really worked on and its been a while since I've driven a car that is from that era.

That's standard behavior that most of us don't even think about.
The engine will not start unless you use the ignition switch or put the ignition switch in the Run position. Just jumpering the starter to crank the engine does not provide power to the computer or fuel pump.